Having recently read about a 70 year old who climbed the world’s highest mountain, I would hesitate to say that I am the fittest oldie around, yet I do believe that I have an encouraging message for all who are sensing that the years are creeping up on them.

At the time of writing I am 58, and yet I sincerely believe that my biological age is somewhere around 30 or 40. Proof of this, I feel, lies in the fact that I can play up to ten games of squash in a row against fit young men – and I can make them sweat. In recent years I also took up skiing and surfing – after a 30 year break. What amazes me most of all is that I have attained an amazing level of vitality (I never get sick) and a remarkable fitness level for my age – and this despite the fact the I lived a most intemperate life in my teens and twenties, and this despite the fact that I have been mercury toxic for the past ten years as a result of silver mercury dental fillings. Which all goes to prove that:

We can grow “younger” with the passing of years

Someone I know helped to build his own home at the age of 80. And, he was active until the day of his death at the age of 93. He lived wisely, as I am trying to do, and he was duly rewarded. Surely this is something worth striving after? This must be a better alternative to being bed-ridden or cripple for the last few decades of our lives? Surely we would all like to play our part in ensuring that we are not a terrible burden to our families during our golden years?

No matter who you are, therefore, and no matter what type of life you have lived, I would like to encourage you to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and read below how you can start today to grow biologically younger, and how you can stay strong and active for the rest of your life.

Before we continue, we need to remind ourselves that we are miraculously made. If at this point you have not read the article, A Miracle Called You, please do so before continuing – then use your BACK key on your browser to return to this page.

What did you have for breakfast?

Ok, now that you have read the above mentioned article, you are probably as amazed as I am by the fact that each of us is composed of over 100 trillion microscopic cells – and that each of these cells contains no less than 6 billion bytes of superbly organized information.

Every one of these cells is a basic unit of life – in other words, it is a living entity. And every one of these cells performs a vital function in servicing the community of cells that comprise our life. This translates into the fact that every one of our cells contributes towards our overall vitality.

In the most simple of terms, therefore, the cell is something like an atomic power plant in that . . .

(1) it takes in fuel (oxygen and nutrients)

(2) it produces energy, and

(3) it gives off waste.

And every cell, and every system in our bodies, ministers to these all-important functions of life – that of supplying oxygen, water and nutrients to our cells, using this as fuel to produce energy, and then ridding the body of the resultant waste

Energy production diagram

Viewing the above diagram – let us notice that we take in oxygen, water and nutrition via the lungs and the digestive tract. These fuels are then carried to every cell in our body via the blood and the lymph system. Then they enter the cell via the cell membrane – and here they turn into energy. The resultant waste then passes out of the cell membrane, back into the lymph and back into the blood, and this waste is then eliminated from the body via the lungs, the kidneys, the bowels and the skin.

The effectiveness of the above process actually determines the health of our cells – and it is this that ultimately and primarily determines our overall vitality. In short, therefore, if our cells are healthy, we are healthy.

As such, it goes without saying that we will never achieve optimal wellness if this life process is not adequately catered for. If our cells are not receiving the right fuel, they will not function properly, and they will not produce energy as they should. By the same token, if waste is not being efficiently eliminated from the body, then the blood, the lymph, and all of our cells will become backed up with impurities, and our systems will soon become acid and toxic. This, in turn, will greatly reduce our vitality, will produce sluggish low-energy feelings, will give rise to acute eliminative outbreaks (colds, pimples etcetera), and will weaken our immune defenses and lay out the red carpet for germ and/or virus infection etcetera – with worse sure to follow. Unless we take action to restore homeostasis, our condition will only deteriorate.

So let us see what steps we can take to ensure that our cells are properly nourished and that our body is clean and healthy.

A healthy snack to fuel your body

(1) Fuel Your Life Wisely

If we really do want to “grow younger,” our first priority is to pay attention to the fuel that we are giving to our bodies.

Everyone understands that race horses must have a good diet, and yet so many people find it so hard to learn the lesson that horse owners learnt many years ago. Everyone knows that a motor car needs fresh air in order to function properly, and yet so many of us live and sleep with our windows closed?

If I tried to survive on a diet of fatty, sodium-rich, deep-fried chips, sodium-rich white rolls, and fatty, sodium-rich burgers, and I lived and worked with people who smoke, and I lived and worked with all the windows closed, what kind of fuel would I be supplying to my cells? Will this kind of fuel ever produce healthy cells? And what kind of energy-levels can I expect as a result? This is one of the main reasons why most people complain about having no energy – and why they keep trying to perk themselves up with caffeine-boosters such as tea, coffee, cigarettes and other stimulants – all of which only ever provide temporary relief and all of which only ever worsen our general condition.

The other options

If, on the other hand, I ate a balanced diet of fruit, nuts, vegetables and grains, and I lived, slept and worked in well ventilated premises – away from people who smoke – would I not be supplying my cells with far better fuel? Will this not result in drastically improved energy levels? Because my cells are the smallest and most basic units of life, will this not improve every aspect of my life? Of course it will.

It’s all so very obvious, and yet, tragically, all too few health professionals ever prescribe natural foods, or recommend that their patients sleep and work with their windows open. This I know for I have walked through many neighborhoods in the early morning and on every occasion I have noticed that most homes have not even one small window open. This is a form of slow suicide.

You might have to invest in mosquito nets, but whatever you, do not sleep with your windows closed.

Our first step, therefore, is to become “fuel conscious.” Give your body the best and the most natural foods, and plenty of fresh clean air twenty-four hours a day, and you will turn around the years of damage that your system has suffered. By making just a few simple changes and substitutions, you will add years to your life and life to your years, and you will start to grow young – fast..

(2) Do Not Ignore Your Need Of Sunlight

“Vigour declines as years advance, leaving less vitality with which to resist unhealthful influences; hence the greater necessity for the aged to have plenty of sunlight, and fresh, pure air.’” (E. G. White, Ministry of Healing, p.275)

Have you ever planted a bean in an area that gets little or no sunlight? It fails to flourish and it develops a lanky appearance. It is thin and weak, and it produces poorly – if it produces at all. And so it is with our lives – sunlight plays a vital role in the life processes – please see the adjacent statement.

Children who sleep in rooms that never get sunlight have little chance of becoming robust kids. In all likelihood they will have stunted growth, and they will be weaker and skinnier than other kids. If we were to install a Perspex skylight in their room, remarkable changes will soon be evident. (It must be Perspex because Perspex does not filter out ultraviolet light as glass does).

`The value of sunlight has been amply demonstrated by hospital experience, which shows a much larger percentage of recovery in rooms amply exposed to the sun than in those excluded from its rays.’ (Dr J. M. Hoffman, The Missing Link, p.318)

For slimming and to aid digestion

A study done at Tulane University on the effect of ultraviolet light on blood pressure showed that a group of people who were suffering from hypertension had a marked lowering of the blood pressure that lasted five or six days after a single exposure to the sun. (American Journal of Physiology, 114:594, 1935)

In another study, they discovered that the output of blood from the heart increases by an average of 39% and continued for five or six days following a single ultraviolet light exposure. (Ibid)

Yet another study involved 30 patients who had hardening of the arteries. Each of these patients’ blood cholesterol level taken was just prior to their being in the sun. Blood cholesterol levels taken again two hours after the exposure. The results showed that the sunlight had brought about a 13% decrease in the patients’ blood cholesterol level. (Circulation, 8:438, 1953)

And what a difference sunlight can make to our immunity . . .

“In the skin there are cells known as keratinocytes which produce a very powerful immune-boosting substance called interleukin-1 (IL-1). This rapidly increases the number of T-cells by encouraging them to reproduce. Natural daylight stimulates IL-1 which is a good reason to spend some time every day outdoors exposing yourself, so to speak.

How important, therefore, that we all get a liberal dose of sunlight everyday, and that we make every effort to sleep and to work in rooms that are always well-ventilated and sterilized by the life-giving rays of the sun.

(3) Exercise Daily

We noticed above that it is via the blood and lymph system that our cells receive energy and that our cells remove waste? Now we all know that we have a heart that pumps blood through the circulatory system. But what is it that causes our lymphatic fluids to flow through the lymph system? The answer is movement (activity and/or exercise and/or massage).

`Exercise greatly improves blood [and lymph] circulation. This in turn improves the delivery of oxygen to every cell in the body [fuel in]. As well as the removal of poisonous compounds from those cells [waste out]. Hence, this will improve membrane transfer of nutrients and waste, which allows for better mobilization and implementation of all defensive protective mechanisms.’ (Dr. Robert E. Willner, M.D., Ph.D., Deadly Deception, p.108)

Do you know the power that lies in cranberries?

We might say that bodily movement is the “heart” that moves fluids through the lymph system. Thus facilitating the transfer of fuel to our cells as well as the removal of toxins and waste from our cells and out of the body. Furthermore, this is one reason why inactive people feel debilitated. Also, it’s why they usually have endless health problems, why they never have enough energy to start an exercise program – and why they all too often land up as invalids.

We must realise, therefore, that the life processes depend on activity and exercise. No, we do not have to go to gym, and we do not have to become exercise fanatics. A short brisk walk after every meal, and a brisk 30 minute walk every day are usually all we need, along with regular daily activity, to ensure that we grow young – fast.

(4) Watch Your Essential Fatty Acid Status

As mentioned earlier, every cell in our bodies is in a membrane. Fuel enters the cell and waste exits the cell via this membrane. It is of vital importance, therefore, that this membrane is always soft and permeable. This is one of the many very special functions of essential fatty acids (EFA’s). If our diet is deficient in EFA’s, fuel will not enter the cell and waste will not exit the cell as it should.

As Dr Rudin tells us:

`Everything going into or coming out of the cell has to pass through the cell’s outer membrane. This membrane depends on essential fatty acids to remain fluid and flexible. Without them, the membrane becomes stiff and unable to do its job. Since the essential fatty acids are the main structural parts of every cell membrane in the body, and because they influence every process in the cell, we can reach a simple conclusion: a balanced intake of essential fatty acids is necessary for both healthy cell function and for the regulators that control the body’s well-being.’ (Dr Donald Rudin, Omega 3 Oils, pp.7-8, 14)

This being the case, those who want to grow younger – fast, will consciously monitor their intake of essential fatty acids. This they will do by ensuring that they eat a few Nature’s Choice Walnuts every day, and by supplementing their diet with Nature’s Choice Flax Oil, or Nature’s Choice Flax and Borage Oil, or Nature’s Choice Miracles at least three times a week. Get them here.

(5) Avoid Hydrogenated Fats

Then I need to warn you about another dietary danger that can cause our cells to age rapidly. By using hydrogenated fats (as found in margarine and common cooking oils – that’s right, I am talking about the same margarine they say is good for your heart. And the same “pure” cooking oil that is commonly available) we hinder cell intake of essential fatty acids, we cause our cell membranes to become hard and less permeable and we also increase our need of EFA’s.

Hydrogenated fats also contain a high level of harmful trans- fatty acids. When used on a regular basis, these trans- fatty acids penetrate the cell membrane. They are only removed from the cell with great difficulty. As such, they will certainly rob the cell of vitality and flexibility and they will promote disease and premature aging.

Have you heard of Jerusalem Toffee?

`Partial hydrogenation also produces “funny fats,” including trans fatty acids. These block the use of normal essential fatty acids. The artificial [hydrogenated] fatty acids behave like freeloaders. They infiltrating cell membranes and stealing enzymes so that natural fatty acids can’t do their work. They lodge in the muscles, liver, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, and heart, and appear in a nursing mother’s breast milk. Trans-fatty acids actually increase the body’s need for essential fatty acids rather than fulfill the body’s needs. These funny fats are one of the many anti-nutrients in the modern diet.’ (Dr. Donald Rudin, Omega 3 Oils, p.13, 31)

More than this, these trans- fatty acids can increase blood cholesterol levels (by as much as 15%) and blood fat levels (by as much as 47%).

The way I see it, hydrogenated fats are one of industries best keep secrets.

In order to do this effectively, we may use mashed avocado or whipped cream on bread or toast, or we may use a nut butter. Instead of hydrogenated oils, we can switch to using any of the special NC cold pressed and cold processed oils. As far as possible you would want to avoid frying – rather bake or grill your food. Thus you food will be far more healthful and far more flavorful.

(6) Drink An Abundance Of Water In Between Meals

Water, taken internally, is one of the body’s most important needs. We would never wash our cars, our clothes or the outside of our bodies with tea or coffee, or with sugary soft drinks. Yet most people try and “wash” the inside of their bodies with these fluids. And this will be evident in the way they feel, in the state of their skin, and in the overall state of their health.

Water is a miracle cleanser. It penetrates where nothing else will penetrate. It absorbs whatever is absorbable. And, because it is free-flowing, it carries away whatever it has absorbed. Water, therefore, is just what the body needs, not only as a source of energy, but also as a vital aid to the cleansing mechanisms of the system – and as a sure means of ensuring that our cells function properly.

Two glasses of water, taken three times a day, will do wonders to cleanse the system and it will do wonders to the way you feel. Always drink water at least 20 minutes before a meal and at least three hours after a meal. This will enable you to avoid taking liquids at meal times – which is always a bad practice in that it dilutes our digestive juices and delays digestion.

(7) Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

I will not bore my informed reader with too much information regarding the dangers of sugar, but for those who have grown up believing that sugar is a wonderful energy-food, please click on this link. This one click could save you years of life.

Allow me to say, however, that as an oldie who enjoys feeling young, I know of a few things in life that I have to avoid if I am going to maintain my good feelings and my vitality. Hydrogenated fats, sugar and refined carbohydrates are the worst of these (white flour products). Over the years I have learnt that there is one sure way of feeling old tomorrow, and one sure way to guarantee that you will have stiff joints tomorrow, and that is by binging on sugar and refined carbohydrates today.

It’s important to remember that refined carbohydrates turn into simple sugars in the mouth. As such, all we are getting when we eat refined white flour products is an extra dose of sugar – and little else in the way of nutrition.

We, as a family, have learnt by bitter experience that sugar is an extremely damaging food, one that undermines most, if not all, of the life processes. Sugar even undermine our immune system – which is our natural defense against germs and viruses.

A healthy overall snack

Having read thus far, I trust that you realize just how easy it is to grow younger. Sure, there is more to the subject, but I have only touched on a few of the high points. This is in an effort to encourage my reader to study further into the all-important and fascinating subject of natural health. I guarantee you that a natural diet and lifestyle will add life to your years. Also, it will add years to your life, and that it will reduce your biological age – no matter how old you are.

May this information help you and yours to live a full, healthy, enjoyable, happy and wonderful life – right on into your golden years.

Make no mistake, there is more truth to the adage, You Are What You Eat, than most people realise. The absolute truth, however, is that you are far more than what you eat – You Are How You Live.